Home Is Where The Hurt Is
by Grasshopper
Summary: It's on your conscience... (Willow/Shannon Moore [BtVS/WWE]; "Save Me From The Nothing I've Become" #1)
1. Prologue

**Title:** Home Is Where The Hurt Is  
**Series:** Save Me From The Nothing I've Become  
**Author:** Grasshopper (A.K.A. The Undertaker's Muse)  
**Email:** uber_bitch13@yahoo.com  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Warnings:** Language. Slash pairings (male/male, mentions of female/female). Probably some violence.  
**Pairing:** Willow/Shannon Moore, **others?**  
**Spoilers:** WWE - None at the moment. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - "Grave."  
**Timeline:** For both 'verses, things should be pretty normal, although things may be changed/manipulated to suit my purpose. Hopefully, my muses will allow me to take this story in the direction I want it to go (*knock on wood*). Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Starts out about two weeks after "Grave" and goes to the end of season 7. WWE - starts sometime after Billy and Chuck's commitment ceremony and goes to present time.  
**Summary:** It's on your conscience…  
**Archiving:** Where Angels Burn, Fanfiction.net, and Twisting the Hellmouth. As long as you keep my name on it and let me know where it's going, go ahead and take it.  
**Author's Notes:** This is what happens when you haven't slept in almost twenty-four hours, have had a pot of coffee (with lots of sugar), and have the same three songs repeating for hours. Just so you all know - this was _not_ supposed to be a series! It was supposed to just be a Willow/Shannon song fic, not the prequel to a Xander/Matt story. Nor was it to continue in a Dawn-centric fic (pairing undetermined) and it most certainly was never meant to culminate in a Faith-centric fic (pairing undetermined).  
**Feedback:** Damn skippy, hippy.  
**Disclaimer:** They all belong to God and Satan (A.K.A. Joss Whedon and Vince McMahon, respectively). I only own the story, which is a work of fiction (never has and never will happen). "There Is" belongs to Box Car Racer. "I'm With You" belongs to Avril Lavigne. The story's title and summary come from "Nothing Could Come Between Us" which belongs to Theory of a Deadman. The series' title comes from "Bring Me To Life" which belongs Evanescence. 

  


* * *

  


**Prologue**

"Giles, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, we don't know what Willow is going to do from here on out. For all we know, she could end up in the same position as she was a couple of weeks ago."

"Buffy, I have explained this to you before. We can not simply see this situation as 'what Willow did,' but also as 'what Willow feels.' She has lost someone that she loves dearly. We all loved Tara, but it's not the same. We both remember how I acted after Jenny's death. You yourself ran away after sending Angel to hell. We know the things that Willow has done and we need time to get past them. But even as we do so, Willow needs to grieve. She needs someone who can help her through this and not be wondering what will happen if she happens to slip up."

"I know." Buffy looked to where Willow was cuddled between Xander and Dawn on the couch in the Summers' living room. "I just don't feel comfortable having her so far away."

"It was bound to happen. Even if she wasn't planning to leave now, Willow would have left eventually. I do not believe that she will ever come back here permanently."

"Giles?"

"It's just…a feeling I have. I believe that, if not for Tara's death, Willow would have stayed in Sunnydale until her own death. However, this town now has too many temptations and not as many reasons to resist."

"So if she doesn't leave, the power that leaks from the Hellmouth may tempt her beyond saving?"

Giles cleaned his glasses as he paced the length of the kitchen. "I believe so. Willow has had a taste of what kind of power that is-"

"More like a mouthful."

"-and is now forever changed because of it. You must remember that she has no longer has a choice about using her magick. It is as much a part of her as breathing, now."

"So we just let her go?"

"Yes. There is no other alternative."

"So after tomorrow…"

"We may never see Willow again." 

  


* * *

  


Sleepily, Dawn curled deeper into Willow's side.

"'m gonna miss you," she mumbled to the redhead.

"I'll miss you, too, Dawnie. Now get some sleep."

"'kay."

Xander covered the teenager with a blanket, then sat back down on Willow's other side.

"Are you going to try talking me out of leaving?"

"No. You'll still end up leaving, and I don't want to argue with you. I think I'd rather just sit here and enjoy your company." Xander wrapped his arm around Willow and kissed her forehead.

"So when do you leave, again?"

"Tomorrow morning at eight."

"And they'll take good care of you?"

"Yes, they'll take good care of me."

"I don't want you to go."

"I know."

Neither spoke after that, content to spend their last few hours together cuddling silently. 

  


* * *

  



	2. Part 1

**Title:** Home Is Where The Hurt Is  
**Series:** Save Me From The Nothing I've Become  
**Author:** Grasshopper (A.K.A. The Undertaker's Muse)  
**Email:** uber_bitch13@yahoo.com  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Warnings:** Language. Slash pairings (male/male, mentions of female/female). Probably some violence.  
**Pairing:** Willow/Shannon Moore, **others?**  
**Spoilers:** WWE - None at the moment. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - "Grave."  
**Timeline:** For both 'verses, things should be pretty normal, although things may be changed/manipulated to suit my purpose. Hopefully, my muses will allow me to take this story in the direction I want it to go (*knock on wood*). Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Starts out about two weeks after "Grave" and goes to the end of season 7. WWE - starts sometime after Billy and Chuck's commitment ceremony and goes to present time.  
**Summary:** It's on your conscience…  
**Archiving:** Where Angels Burn, Fanfiction.net, and Twisting the Hellmouth. As long as you keep my name on it and let me know where it's going, go ahead and take it.  
**Author's Notes:** This is what happens when you haven't slept in almost twenty-four hours, have had a pot of coffee (with lots of sugar), and have the same three songs repeating for hours. Just so you all know - this was _not_ supposed to be a series! It was supposed to just be a Willow/Shannon song fic, not the prequel to a Xander/Matt story. Nor was it to continue in a Dawn-centric fic (pairing undetermined) and it most certainly was never meant to culminate in a Faith-centric fic (pairing undetermined).  
**Feedback:** Damn skippy, hippy.  
**Disclaimer:** They all belong to God and Satan (A.K.A. Joss Whedon and Vince McMahon, respectively). I only own the story, which is a work of fiction (never has and never will happen). "There Is" belongs to Box Car Racer. "I'm With You" belongs to Avril Lavigne. The story's title comes from "Nothing Could Come Between Us" which belongs to Theory of a Deadman. The series' title comes from "Bring Me To Life" which belongs Evanescence. 

  


* * *

  


**Part 1**

Willow looked around the airport carefully. Dragging her suitcase along, she searched for a familiar face.

"Willow!"

She turned at the shout of her name. Willow wrapped her arms around the neck of the man who scooped her up in his arms. Laughing, the redhead pulled back to look closer at her cousin. Although taller and stronger than the last time she had seen him, his dark hair and Bambi eyes were the same as before.

"How ya doin' Shane-o?"

His grin showcasing his dimples, Shane kissed Willow's cheek.

"How's my baby cousin?"

Willow mock-glared at him. "I asked you first."

"But I'm older."

"So? I never understood your point in that argument. What's the big deal in you being older. Steph is older, too, but she never pulled that on me. Where is she, anyway? Working?"

"Yes, Stephanie's working. I see you're still the Queen of Babble-on, aren't you, Will."

Willow shrugged. "Guess so. Can you put me down?"

"Oh, right. Sorry. This all you brought," Shane asked, gesturing to her suitcase.

"That and my purse."

"Okay, then. Let's get out of here."

"After you, my good man."

Shane grabbed her bag and led her to his car. Before starting the car, he turned to his cousin.

"Willow? I'm sorry about Tara. I was really looking forward to meeting her."

Willow's eyes filled with tears. "She really wanted to meet you, too. I wish you could have known her; she was the most incredible- I really loved her. I still do."

Shane pulled Willow into another hug. "I know you do." Pulling back, he wiped her eyes and kissed her forehead.

"So, let's get going. Places to be, people to see."

"Right," Willow replied, smiling softly. "Let's get going." 

  


* * *

  


Shannon Moore, Matt Hardy, Chuck Palumbo, and Billy Gunn winced as their General Manager's squeal echoed through the halls of the arena.

"Good Lord," Billy whispered, rubbing his ears, "that woman gets worse by the year."

"Willow!"

The men tensed as Stephanie came closer to where they stood. The youngest McMahon ran down the hallway, somehow managing to dodge the wires and cables despite her boots' stiletto heels.

"Stephy!" The petite redhead was grabbed by the brunette woman and hugged enthusiastically.

"You're here, you're here, you're really here!"

"Shane, save me from the evil Stephy monster," Willow shrieked, laughing at her other cousin's antics.

"I don't know, she looks pretty scary to me." Shane bit his lip to keep from laughing when both women glared at him. "I just can't win here, can I?"

Willow and Stephanie looked at him with wide eyes.

"Nope," they said simultaneously.

Stephanie went back to perusing her cousin. "I still can't believe you're really here. This is going to be so great. I mean," Steph sobered slightly as her eyes met Willow's, "I wish the circumstances were better, but…"

"But at least I'm here. With family."

"Yes," Shane answered, pulling the redhead into another hug.

"Don't forget me," Steph pouted, grabbing both her brother and her cousin.

"I can't," Shane answered. "Believe me, I've tried on numerous occasions."

"Shane!" Willow swatted at her cousin's arm. "That's not very nice. Now apologize to your sister."

"Yes, Shane, apologize to your sister."

"Mom!"

"Aunt Linda!" Willow squeezed out from between Shane and Stephanie to hug her aunt.

"Hello, Willow. I trust your trip was well?"

"Yep."

"That's good. Are you ready for tonight?"

"I think so. Hopefully, my stage fright won't rear up. That would suck immensely."

"Yes, I'm sure it would. Now, I have a meeting to attend; I just wanted to be here to say hello, since Vince is tied up back in Stamford."

Willow raised an eyebrow. "I'm hoping you don't mean that literally, 'cause that's just a bit more than I ever wanted to know, Aunt Linda."

Linda and Willow smiled at Shane and Stephanie's outraged and disgusted shrieks.

"Well, I really must be going. It was wonderful to see you, Willow."

"You, too, Aunt Linda. Bye!"

"Goodbye." Willow watched as her aunt walked away before turning back to her cousins.

"So… What do I do?"

Shane laughed. "You back up Stephanie's decisions and/or make some decisions of your own. As SmackDown!'s Chief of Staff, you're in a position of power. I suggest you use it wisely."

Stephanie smirked and hooked her arm in Willow's as they walked to her office, "Yes, such as making matches with less T&A and more wrestling."

"Or maybe I could have guys do gimmick matches." Willow's eyes widened as a thought came to her. "Can't you just see it, Steph - Shannon Moore versus Matt Hardy in an underwear mud match. No! A thong mud match."

Stephanie shook her head, nodding to the four men still listening to their conversation, "I thought you were into girls now, Wills."

"That doesn't mean I can't still appreciate the male body."

Shane stood back and watched as his sister and cousin walked away. Smirking at the expressions on the faces of the two men mentioned in their conversation, Shane muttered, "The upcoming months are going to be very interesting, I do believe." 

  


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End file.
